Beer goggles are a myth, but booze gives drinkers ‘Dutch courage’ to approach strangers
- Whether people were drunk had no effect on how attractive they found others
Over the years, many regrettable moments have been attributed to the so-called beer goggles.
But it seems that all that morning after the night before will be no more excuses.
Scientists believe that drinking alcohol doesn’t make others look prettier — it just gives people the confidence to approach someone they already find attractive.
In previous research on the beer goggles phenomenon, participants typically rated photos of others for attractiveness while sober and again after they had been drinking.
A more realistic element has been added to the latest US study: the opportunity to meet those being judged.
In previous research on the beer goggles phenomenon, participants typically rated photos of others for attractiveness while sober and again after they had been drinking
Dr. Molly Bowdring and Dr. Michael Sayette, of Stanford University, brought 18 male friends in their twenties to have a drink in a lab and then rate the attractiveness of images of people.
The idea of using pairings was to mimic the social interactions that would normally take place in a real drinking situation.
The team found that whether or not participants were drunk had no effect on how good looking they thought others were.
However, the drinking did influence the extent to which the men wanted to have contact with people they found attractive.
The research, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, finds that offering the opportunity to meet or flirt with a “target” is where “alcohol exerted its impact.”
It suggested that the term beer goggles could actually mean “liquid courage.”